A Sunny Next Day Wedding Portrait Session at Pitt Lake // Mel and Matt

Melanie and Matt explore Pitt Lake during their wedding portrait session in Pitt Meadows // Victoria Wedding Photographers

If you saw our blogs of Melanie and Matt's engagement session and wedding, you know how both featured Mel and Matt smiling and celebrating through some very heavy rain. West coast, wet coast!  Sure, it's fun to dance in the rain, but it's also nice to celebrate love in the sun and warmth.  When the opportunity came to do a portrait session with Mel and Matt again at Pitt lake in the summer, we jumped on it!  We loooove "next day shoots" (well, for Mel and Matt it was more of a "next season" shoot"), when the couple dresses up in their wedding attire and heads out for another portrait season.  It means we can spend time with them without the constraints of timeline, pressure to return to guests, and more freedom to pick days and times where the weather might be more favourable and the light is just right.  What a day we picked for Mel and Matt, the weather was the complete opposite, the location was just as gorgeous as their wedding location, and Mel and Matt were looking as stunning as ever!

Here are some of our favourites:

Sunset Engagement Session at Sandcut Beach // Elizabeth & Will

Victoria Wedding Photographers // Exploring the rocky Sandcut Beach on Highway 14. 

Fewer things in this world are nicer than a Westcoast sunset at the beach, so when Elizabeth and Will suggested doing their engagement session at Sandcut Beach, just north of Sooke, we were all about it!  It's become one of our favourite island spots since moving over from the mainland. 

The walk down to the beach crosses over boardwalks through mossy forest, through tunnels of enormous west coast trees, up root-covered hills, and finally, descends down a staircase that emerges onto a beach covered in large rocks.  As the waves lap at the shore you can hear the peaceful repetitive chatter of the stones rolling out with the waves. 

This evening at the beach was no exception to the beauty we've come to know of Vancouver Island's west coast beaches. Elizabeth and Will wandered the beach hand in hand, traipsing over rocks and logs, up onto waterfall ledges, and basically anywhere I pointed.  We love adventurous couples!  The waterfall was a bit low on water, but it gave us the opportunity to explore the river pools and grooves in the rocks up above the falls.

We ended the shoot just as the sun dipped below the horizon, heading back into the dark trail to the parking lot.  It was an awesome evening!  Thanks, Liz & Will! 

Intimate Wedding at Wild Renfrew and Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew // Holly and Alessandro

Holly and Alessandro host their nearest and dearest at Wild Renfrew for their wild and intimate Botany Beach Wedding Ceremony // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Since moving to Sooke on Vancouver Island a couple years , Port Renfrew quickly became one of our (if not our most) very favourite places.  A quiet, rugged, wild, and mysterious pocket of coast line takes the breath away of every visitor. Winter storms are dramatic, wildlife is abundant, and the landscape is humbling. Our first trip there was a cold and grey November day as huge green waves crashed against layers of black angular lava rock. Like liquid glass colliding against a book of razors. We could only stand there and stare, mouths agape. Just around a bend from there, a short hike through twisted cedars, sitkas and firs, is a smooth refuge of flat beach, sheltered from ocean winds and pock marked by tide pools that teem with sea life.  One doesn't need to wonder why Holly and Alessandro, geologists, would choose this on all places to host their family for their intimate wedding. 

Holly and Ale got ready for their day at the Wild Renfrew cabins, overlooking the Port of San Juan, and mountains filled with new and ancient growth forests.  As a small group, their friends and family walked down to Botany Bay and gathered closely for their ceremony officiated by an inviting and humourous  Port Renfrew local Reet Buckler.  Eagles soared overhead, sea lions played in the kelp bed, and waves crashed rhythmically on the rocks.  After the ceremony and champagne, we stole away with Holly and Ale to explore the coast more for some adventurous portraits.

Thank Holly and Ale for having us there to be a part of your beautiful, natural, an intimate day. We hope you love the photos!

Victoria BC Sunset Engagement Photos // Jane and Nick (and Scout and Randall, of course!)

Jane and Nick's sunset engagement on their ocean property in Victoria // Victoria Wedding Photographers

You know us, we love any excuse to hang out with awesome people with awesome dogs to enjoy an awesome sunset.  It's even better when work involves all of the above!  Jane and Nick came up to Victoria from Seattle last week to enjoy a visit with family, and we stole them away for a glorious engagement session.  We didn't need to go far to embrace some epic Victoria vibes: we found the perfect romantic sunset setting right in the backyard!  

Last year we met Nick and Jane via Skype to talk about their upcoming wedding at Victoria Golf Club this year, and we couldn't wait to meet them and their pooches in person.  We were greeted with huge smiles from Jane and Nick, and lots of tail wagging from Randall and Scout. After some puppy play on the lawn, we headed over to relax on the adirandack chairs for a beautiful sunset.   Throughout the whole evening we were blown away by the natural, effortless connection and chemistry between Jane and Nick, and it was made all the more dramatic with the ocean breeze and warm sunset light.  We can't wait to see these two get married!

An Autumn Road Trip Around Iceland // Matt and Sayde's Personal Adventure

Matt and Sayde's great big, landscape loving, road trip having, honeymoon - babymoon adventure in Iceland // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Way back when Matt and I first started talking and getting to know each other as friends, we talked mostly about photography, and camera stuff in general.  As time went on we chatted more about our hobbies, our childhoods, and things we had hoped to accomplish and do in the future - bucket lists, if you will.  One of the things that embodied all of those things was the experience of past travels, and dream of future travel. We made lists of all the places we wanted to visit, and shared photos of interesting landscapes from places we wanted to see.  Norway, Croatia, Australia, and beyond. One place that came up in almost every conversation and photo share session was Iceland, which crept quickly to the top of both of our lists of must-see places. Fast forward four years to 2016; we were getting married and we were planning a honeymoon to Iceland.  For those who don't know, 2016 was an eventful year for us as we moved to Vancouver Island, worked hard to establish our wedding photography in Victoria, and then got married ourselves.  We decided to wait a year and take our dream honeymoon in a less busy times!

With this postponement of our honeymoon came the most wonderful opportunity: photographing a series of destination elopements in Iceland.  Perfect! Not only would be be travelling, meeting interesting people, and photographing a place we'd been dying to see for years, but we'd also get the opportunity to get to know, and photograph, adventurous couples who were as filled with Iceland wanderlust as we are. You can find each of their elopements in our blog.

This post however is about our personal trip around Iceland in the days leading up to the elopements we photographed. We started our road trip in  Reykjavik and travelled counterclockwise around the ring road, stopping everywhere that made our jaws dropped.  Our jaws dropped almost every ten minutes down the road.  We were awestruck not only by the striking, and often times surreal, landscapes, but also by the way we often felt like we were the only people there, the way the sun hung so low along the horizon on autumn days that it seemed like sunset all the time, and the way the northern lights danced like rivers through the sky at night. So many times we found ourselves staring, or gasping, and asking out loud, "Could this possibly be real?!", as we tried to pinch ourselves awake from what felt like dreams.  

Without further adieu (and because I promised Matt I wouldn't write a paragraph for each photo about the geology of each location, and the saga histories that revolve around them), here's a few highlights from our trip!   Make sure to check out the drone video at the bottom as well! 

Clouds over Reykjavik.

Taking pictures of Matt taking pictures.

Making some friends.

Gullfoss, along the Golden Circle.

Sayde overlooking Faxifoss.

Matt makes a break for the black sand beaches.

Flying over Reykjanes.

Road selfies are the road-trippingest selfies!

Dramatic clouds and lighthouses galore.

Tiny man, big cliffs.

Matt checking out Seljalandsfoss.

Birds eye view of Seljalandsfoss.

Pregnant photographer portrait of a pregnant Icelandic horse.

Sayde and the sunshine.

Matt at the end of a rainbow, at the bottom of Skogafoss.

Overlooking expanses of black sand beach under the Dyrholaey cliffs.

Dyrholaey.

Little Matt, biiiig waves!

Can you spot Sayde?

Watching the northern lights from our hotel room, and FossHotel.

Tiny Sayde perched on canyon cliffs.

Iceland in a nutshell: sheep and waterfalls.

Dodging puddles, or auditioning for a Gap ad?

Too many cameras to juggle. It is a real struggle.

Never enough Icelandic horses.

Matt fighting the wind!

So much mist at Godafoss.

Matt perched over Berserkjahraun lava feild.

The very famous, very photogenic Kirkjufell.

Sayde controls the ocean, just so you know.

We also made a video featuring footage from our drone throughout Iceland!  Check that out below:

Reykjavik Elopement in Iceland // Farrah and Lance

Farrah and Lance elope in Iceland at the Blue Lagoon, black beaches, with a sunset vow exchange at Seljalandsfoss // Victoria Wedding and Elopement Photographers

We met Farrah and Lance through our friend Emma of Emma McCormmick Creative, and were so excited when they told us that they wanted to elope in Iceland and have us there to take the photos!  Like all of our couples, Farrah and Lance had their own unique way of doing their elopement, and we loved photographing the whole experience.  Farrah and Lance had a not-so-secret elopement, and even had a handful of family members and friends along to share in the day.  A mini wedding! We  love it!  

The day started out dark, with rain clouds looming over Reykjavik and as far as we could see: we assumed that our lucky weather streak had run out.  Our only option for the day was to follow the road in any direction that might lead us towards any sort of light. What a great decision that ended up being!

Black lava rocks, topped with bright green moss is what covers most of the Reykjanes Peninsula where we decided to head.  At Blue Lagoon, the vibrantly blue pools of water cut a contrasting path through the green and black blanket. They're made all the more vivid by their stark white silica borders.  For Farrah and Lance's first look, it made for a very surreal setting, even as rain threatened to pour on them.  From there we headed east, where we were treated to black sand beaches; their grassy dunes stretching for thousands of acres. Here we found an absolute absence of people, and warm sunlight bursting through dense fog, creating an otherworldly and romantic atmosphere.  

Farrah and Lance had saved their vows just for Iceland, and they were hoping to be able to exchange them at a waterfall at some point through the day.  As the day wound down and the sun began to set, we made our way further east to Seljalandsfoss, stopping along the way to visit with some Icelandic horses, and trying to coax them into cuddles with the promise of apples. We made it to Seljalandsfoss just in time for a glorious sunset, which couldn't have been more perfect for Farrah and Lance's romantic vow exchange.

Thank you Farrah and Lance! We had such a great day with you and your squad, chasing the light, fishing for horses, and walkie-talkie-ing like truckers between our vehicles!  Congratulations to you both, we hope these memories last forever!

Snaefellnes Peninsula Iceland Elopement // Meagann & Neil

Meagann and Neil elope amongst basalt columns, waterfalls and lava fields in Iceland // Victoria Wedding Photographers

 

In our experience photographing three destination elopements in Iceland, on back to back days, we took away so many highlights to reminisce about.  We loved getting to know our couples' different personalities, how they met, and what their lives were like back home, away from this dreamland.  One thing we weren't (but should should have been) expecting was the way all three of our couples would plan and execute their elopement in their own special way.  It only magnified the romance factor of an already romantic way to marry, and we felt it gave us an even more intimate look into the couple's relationship dynamic.

If you read Jessika and Mack's elopement blog from the day before, you know that they had legally married in their home state of Colorado a few days before they left for Iceland.  They had exchanged their wedding rings, but saved their vows for their big day Iceland.  As well, Jessika's wedding dress made it all the way to Iceland without Mack seeing it, so they could get ready the traditional way; without the groom seeing the bride, even though they were going to be in the same apartment at the time!   

The following day we met with Meagann and Neil at their hotel to start the day at their Reykjavik hotel, where they'd get ready together to share the anticipation and excitement of the day.  We found it so romantic that Neil would be the person to help Meagann into her wedding gown (insert 100 heart-eyes emojis), before they looked each other up and down with huge smiles, and headed out the door.  Meagann and Neil also legally signed their marriage papers in their hometown in Ontario, where they had exchanged vows and wedding bands.  The unique twist that we love, is that while the two had their wedding bands, Meagann had not yet seen the beautiful custom sapphire engagement ring that Neil had made just for her.  What a treat for us to get to see her face as Neil opened the little wooden box for her during their ring exchange ceremony. And what better place than an isolated area of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula; at the foot of a waterfall, and overlooking an endless field of bright green, moss-blanketed lava, veined by a river speckled with swans.  The warm light shining through overhead clouds, and the misty wind that danced through Meagann's hair and gown only added more drama to an already dreamlike day.  After their ring exchange, we explored more of the Snaefellsnes peninsula area, that Meagann and Neil had fallen in love with their first few days in Iceland.  They showed us areas that we hadn't had the opportunity to explore on our first trip to the area, and it felt like casual day out adventuring with friends as Neil pointed out all the quaint homesteads he was for sure planning to retire to when it came time.  We took in the impressive basalt column cliffs, took a drive through the incredible Berserkjahraun (mad-man's lava field), and they finished the day with some beachside cuddles at Djupalonssandur (the black lava pearl beach).

Thank you Meagann and Neil for letting us be the ones to peer in and capture such an intimate and personal milestone in your life.  We had so much fun driving around an area of Iceland that meant so much to you, and hope these photos hold a life time of treasure for you! 

 

  

Beacon Hill Park Elopement in Victoria // Kaiti and Mike

Kaiti and Mike's secret September wedding in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria // Victoria Wedding Photographers

With September being our busiest month, and the month of our anniversary, we weren't really expecting to have enough time to really celebrate our anniversary.  With so many wedding on the docket, we figured we'd probably spend the day editing, consulting, updating our portfolio, catching up on social media, or meeting with couples.  As it happens though, we were given the opportunity to do something very special on the day of our anniversary.  When Kaiti and Mike approached us with their elopement so secret that we'd be the very witnesses on their marriage certificate, we knew that would be the most memorable way to spend our anniversary.  We couldn't wait for the day to hurry up and arrive so we could spend it photographing, witnessing, and celebrating he marriage of a fantastic couple who would end up sharing the very same day! What a treat!

Kaiti and Mike came from the Mainland to elope in Victoria, and to spend a couple days enjoying the city. We met the two of them on that sunny September afternoon in Beacon Hill Park for their intimate elopement amongst a secluded grove of Garry oaks. What a gorgeous place to exchange such heartfelt felt vows, and rings. After their official ceremony, we spent time exploring around the park and beaches nearby, taking in the sights, the sunlit fog, and wedded bliss!

Thanks, Kaiti and Mike, for including us in such a great day, and congratulations on your marriage!  We hope you love the photos!

Church and State Winery Wedding with Lindsey and Brent // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Lindsey and Brent's summery September wedding at Church and State Winery on Vancouver Island // Victoria Wedding Photographers

We first met Lindsey and Brent at Victoria's Modern Bride Wedding Show back in January, and have been eagerly awaiting their Church and State wedding since we did their spring time engagement photos. Wow, how time flies!  

Even though their wedding fell on an autumn day, Lindsey and Brent were still treated to summer sunshine.  What could be a more perfect way to start off a summery wedding, than with a private first look between bride and groom, under a willow tree, in front of a duck filled pond, in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria?!  To add a cherry to an already intimate first look, Lindsey and Brent took the time to read each other some very personal and emotional vows, before heading to the ceremony with family and friends. 

Church and State is already a top notch, rave-worthy venue, but throw in the organization and stylings of Borrowed and Blue Events, and you've got an unforgettable atmosphere for a wedding there: equal parts welcoming, breathtaking and intimate.  We always love speech time during weddings because it gives us another little peek through the window into our couple's lives, and Lindsey and Brent's family's opened those windows wide.  We finished off the night as the music cranked louder and these two and their friends left everything on the dancefloor (mostly just a lot of shirts)!

Thanks for having us there to celebrate with you, Lindsey and Brent, we hope you love the photos!

East Sooke Park Engagement Photography // Ariel and Mike

Ariel and Mike explore Iron Mine Bay during their vacation in Sooke // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Most of you know how much we've loved our little life in Sooke, since moving last year.  We love exploring the trails, the water, and getting to know the people in our new community, and playing tour guide for our friends and family when they visit.  We get super excited to meet people who are just visiting Sooke to explore, especially when Sooke was their main destination (not just a side trip they took while in beautiful Victoria :p).  Ariel and Mike are two of those people, coming all the way from Ontario to take in the glory of Sooke's coast line, wildlife, and forest.

Being recently engaged, we loved how they decided to do their engagement photos here, while they were on holiday!  How special is that!?! As you know, Sayde is from Ontario herself, and as you can probably imagine, when Ontarians meet on the west coast or anywhere in travel, there is a LOT of chatter to behold.  And chatter away we did.  It was great to spend two awesome hours chatting, photographing and exploring the trails (and going off trail into the ocean of ferns), beach, and islet at Iron Mine Bay in East Sooke. 

Thanks Ariel and Mike for visiting Sooke, and for having us there to document a small part of it!  Hope you enjoyed the last of your trip and come back again soon!

Golden Ears Park Engagement Photos // Kristina and Dan

Kristina and Dan explore the trails and waterfall at Golden Ears National Park for some epic engagement photos // BC Wedding Photographers

How was everyone’s Labour Day Weekend?  We spent the weekend chugging full steam ahead, photographing a couple events on Vancouver Island, and a couple events around Victoria! One of those events was an awesome evening spent with Kristina and Dan, hiking around Golden Ears Park to check out a waterfall, and do some engagement photos!

We were a little worried that photographing on a long weekend, in 33 degree weather might be a bit of a deal breaker for a great engagement session.  But, not the heat, nor the crowds stopped these two and their pooch, Max, from having an awesome time exploring the dusty trails and getting their feet wet in the river!  We were blown away by how cool and laid back they were the whole afternoon, and had such a great time chatting with them about their upcoming wedding at Cheakamus Centre, their Hawaiian honeymoon, and their story and life together!

Thanks Kristina and Dan for being such troopers on that balmy afternoon, we can’t wait for the wedding!

Mountain Top Wedding in Pitt Meadows and Langley // Kim and Radek's Red Serge Wedding

Kim and Radek take in mountain top views, and enjoy their wedding reception on a private property in Langley // BC Wedding Photographers

We had talked to Kim and Radek about their Pitt Meadows wedding over a year and half before their wedding day, which took place this year.  Time FLEW between then and when their day arrived.  We couldn't wait to see them again and meet their friends and family.  This would be our second wedding of the year to involve Red Serge, and a big clan of RCMPers.  We've seen what a close knit family RCMP'ers are and how they celebrate at weddings, so we couldn't wait to spend some more time in that kind of atmosphere!  

Before the wedding ceremony, we took a Sky Helicopters flight with these two, way up to the top of one of the local mountains. Kim braved the mid-summer, mountain snow in bare feet as the two explored around and took in the views.  After that it was off to see their family and friends for their intimate catholic ceremony, and a rocking reception. Complete with a Mountie themed wedding cake, and of course.. donuts for dessert. ;)

Thanks Kim and Radek for having us there to celebrate with you two, your friends and your family! We're so happy that you've found your forever person! We hope you love the photos.

Meghan & Jeff's Wedding at The Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke

It's been a while since we shot a wedding in our own town of Sooke!  It's a hidden gem for outdoor, destination-style wedding venues, with a plethora of great places to experience, if you're the adventurous outdoorsy type.  Just one of the many reasons we love it so much!  For Meghan and Jeff, it was perfect place to host their wedding! 

Meghan and Jeff met up in Kitimat when Meghan started a career with the RCMP there.  They've since moved to Vancouver Island and built a house right here in Sooke!  Their wedding day, planned by the unbelievably talented Emma McCormick, was held at Prestige OceanFront Resort and was filled to the brim with personal touches.  Meghan's father, also RCMP, walked her down the aisle in his red serge uniform. Meghan donned her own boots for a while.  Pictures capturing Meghan and Jeff's relationship filled the entry-ways, a ping pong table was set up for guests to enjoy.  They had special guests "serenade" them with a hockey-themed wedding song. They were even presented a custom stained glass window made by Meghan's father.  For pictures, we stopped by Whiffin Spit, and then swung by Meghan and Jeff's about-to-be-completed home and snuck inside for some photos together.

We really loved being a part of Meghan and Jeff's day, meeting their friends and family from all over the country, and capturing so many special moments. And especially loved watching all their friends get wild in our photobooth!

Thank you to Meghan and Jeff for having us there, we hope you love and cherish these photos!

Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Engagement Photos with Kim and Chris

Victoria Wedding Photographers explore Jericho Beach Park and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club with Kim and Chris during their sunset engagement photos in Vancouver

Since moving to the Island, we get to do a lot of Skype dates with our couples who live all over BC, so that we can keep in touch "face-to-face".  We officially met Kim and Chris this way as well!  We chatted for a while and fell in love with their dynamic together, their charisma, their senses of humour and out-going personalities.  We knew they'd be a great fit!  They told us about their friends, family, their hobbies and how they met, and talked about their excitement for their up-coming Hastings House wedding on Salt Spring Island. The very place Kim's parents wed.  We especially loved their story of Chris' romantic vision for proposing to Kim, who unknowingly kept foiling his grand plans.  This happens more often than you think, and always leaves couples with an interesting and endearing story as a result.   

Since Chris had planned to propose to Kim on the pier of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, and the two spend so much of their time together there, we all thought it'd be the perfect place to do their engagement photos.  We spent a warm and summery evening in the park, on the beach, and ended with a gorgeous sunset looking over downtown! 

Thanks for being such fun and silly subjects for us, Kim and Chris! We hope you love the photos!  We're looking forward to your wedding.

Fan Tan Alley and Beacon Hill Park Engagement Photos with Susan and Peter

Susan and Peter are getting married in gorgeous Southern California, but approached us because they wanted us to do their engagement photos in gorgeous BC.  We talked for a while about all the great places we could get together for their session; should we go to Osoyoos? What about Vancouver?  In the end, the day before the photo shoot, they made the last minute decision to come to gorgeous Victoria and make a little weekend holiday of it.  We were so excited!  Vancouver Island has some of the most amazing places to do photos, which still end up being quite private. 

We met at Fan Tan Alley downtown and immediately hit it off.  Peter and Susan had one-liner after one-liner and lots of funny banter that kept us on our toes, and hurt our stomach from laughing so hard.  We love to see couples who can effortlessly make each other burst out laughing and smiling.  We explored around the alleys for a while and then headed through Beacon Hill Park before ending our session with with some intimate time on the beach.   It was great shooting Susan and Peter in these iconic Victoria spots, on a gorgeous day before tourist season; it felt like we had the whole town to ourselves and we could capture Susan and Peter in their element.

Thanks for the hilarious memories Susan and Peter, and thanks for coming all the way to the Island to let us photograph you!  Hope you love the photos, here's a few of our favourites! 

East Sooke Park Engagement Photos with Lindsey and Brent (and Willow!)

Lindsey, Brent, and Willow romp around the fields, cliffs, and beach at Aylard Farms in East Sooke Park during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

East Sooke park is the first place the two of us visited that made us fall in love with, and eventually move to Sooke.  After talking to Brent and Lindsey about their upcoming Church and State wedding, we got to talking about all the areas they really love around here.  We weren't surprised in the least when Lindsay and Brent told us that East Sooke was one of their favourite places, and that they'd love to do their engagement session there, near Aylard Farms.  It also happened to be a first-hike-together place for them, as Lindsey puts it: her and Willow, her dog, were going for a hike date together, and invited Brent along. They hit it off, evidently!!

The day of the engagement session came and we all romped around the park talking about their upcoming Church and State Winery wedding, summer and travel plans, and laughing at all Willows silly antics.  Lindsey and Brent finished off the evening with some good old stick-toss into the ocean for Willow, and stuck around long enough to catch a couple curious seals swim by. 

Thanks to Lindsey and Brent for hiking around the park for us during your engagement session, we had loads of fun! We're excited about your wedding!!

Mystic Beach Engagement Photos with Kristi and Kyle (and Chase!)

Kristi and Kyle hike through the rainforest for their sunset engagement session at Mystic Beach

// Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

We met Kristi and Kyle, along with their wedding planner Anouk, about a month ago to talk about their Oak Bay Beach Hotel wedding.  They told us about their life in Victoria, their wedding plans, and showed us pictures of their cute little dog, Chase.   We found them so endearing, especially the way they'd look in each other's eyes and immediately smile every time we asked them questions about their everyday life, and their relationship.  We are always drawn to couples who have a strong connection to each other that way.  When they told us that they had considered a place like Mystic Beach for their engagement photos, we almost fell out of our seats.  

Mystic Beach is one of our (one of most people's) favourite places to visit, and we've been dying to go there with a couple.  Within 10 minutes of weaving through the moss and fern coated forest, Kristi and Kyle's shoes were covered in thick mud, and Chase's tiny white paws were painted black.  To which, Kristi laughed and said, "Well, we're committed now! It'll totally be worth it!"  And she was so right.  Appropriately named, Mystic Beach makes most people feel as though they've stepped out of the forest and into a dream.  It often overwhelms people with a kaleidoscope of feelings which is why it's such a great place to photograph people there.  We had so much fun photographing Kristi and Kyle as they explored the beach, the waterfall, and ran around the beach with Chase, who was clearing feeling energized after being liberated from his leash! We finished off with a gorgeous hazy sunset by the waterfall, followed by our slow and tedious hike back to the cars through the pitch black forest.

Thanks, Kristi and Kyle, for being so adventurous and taking on this crazy excursion with us, for your engagement session.  Thank you for letting us try out some creative photo techniques with our lighting, and panorama style too!  We just couldn't wait to show you these images, and we totally hope they are worth the sore ankles and backs!  We're sooo looking forward to your wedding in September.

Thanks for checking out our blog!  If you'd like to learn more about us, please head over to our "About Us" section!

Tips for Looking and Feeling Awesome in Your Engagement Photos

Some great suggestions on how to look and feel amazing during your engagement photos, from Victoria Wedding Photography team, Pebble and Pine Photography.

Let's start with why we love engagement sessions so much!  We get asked a lot by couples if engagement sessions are a totally necessary part of getting married.  The truth is, they aren't.  You can get married without having engagement sessions and your marriage is still just as legal, haha.  However,  we've found that engagement sessions are so valuable because they are a great way for us to get to know our couples a bit more before the wedding.  It helps us to see how you interact with each other, get to know your dynamic as a couple, and how we can best make you feeling comfortable and confident in front of the lens so the wedding day is effortless and has a smooth natural flow to it.  It's also incredibly helpful and fun for our couples who are preparing for the big day.  It shows you how we work as a photography duo, how you feel being photographed, and help you to get more comfortable in front of our lenses, so that you have less to feel nervous about when your wedding day comes. 

 In our experience of photographing weddings, we've found that many of the couples we work with have not had professional photos done together before working with us.  They often have questions about how they can best prepare for the engagement session, so we've put together a handy little tips list.  That way, you can put your nerves at ease, and feel excited!

First and most importantly to remember; this is not a do-or-die list.  As with all advice, follow it to the degree that you're comfortable with, and that feels right for you!

Ability to move freely. 
Because we’ll be walking around, and getting the two of you interacting with each other, the ability to move around with ease is the best way to feel natural in front of the camera.  You want to make sure that you can wrap your arms around each other comfortably, and also be able to walk and sit down without worrying what your clothes are doing, or feeling restricted by them. We also love taking candid photos of you guys just spending time together, so the less you carry with you (purses, backpacks, etc), the more spontaneous the photos can be.  Some couples like to make sure they can keep their phones close by, or like to bring a small makeup/lip touch-up kit along which is totally fine. In those instances, we will usually just carry those things for you in our camera bags until you need them, so they don’t show through your pockets and clothes.

Wear the clothes, and do the hair and makeup style that make you feel like the most confident, comfortable, and vibrant version of yourself.
Keep in mind that when you look at your photos later, we want you to feel like your photos are a reflection of your true self, not a costumey version of yourself.
Our best advice is to not wear clothes, or get hair and makeup done to an extreme or style that feels unnatural or uncharacteristic of you. The best way to look good on camera is to feel like yourself! 
Brides who are planning to have hair and makeup done at the wedding often opt to have some hair and makeup for the engagement session, to see how it feels to be photographed with it done.  Typically it’s slightly more toned-down, and less formal than it would be on the wedding day.  The best way to look good on camera is to feel like yourself! 

Decide on a location you love and feel comfortable in.
We encourage couples to choose a place of significance to them, and a place they feel comfortable in.  We love engagement sessions to tell some kind of story and have a flow to them, so that you don’t feel like you're just standing in front of the camera posing the whole time. If you're in a place you love and are excited about, you'll feel more at ease in front of the camera.  This way we can get you interacting with each other to really capture your personalities, and your dynamic together.  A lot of couples choose walks on the beach or the woods in areas they like, or decide they want to have a date night, like a wine-and-sunset picnic somewhere.  Other couples choose to have their photos taken doing a hobby they enjoy doing.  We like to chat with our couples about ideas that work best to reflect their life together.

Match your engagement style vibe to the atmosphere and style you’ve planned your wedding. 
Weddings nowadays have become less of a traditional mould, and more of an expression of your relationship.  Chances are, you’ve planned your wedding to reflect your personalities, your style and taste, and of course your eccentricities.  We recommend matching your engagement style to fit amongst the same general style of your wedding, and your own personal style.  Some couples consider themselves more outdoorsy and adventurous. Some couples vibe with boho, whereas others are more modern and edgy, etc.  So to avoid feeling uncomfortable or inauthentic to yourself, we usually recommend couples dress in what Matt refers to as, “casual plus, or better".  It's a spruced up version of your own real, personal style.  For example, a couple we shot last year, during a beach sunset, described their outfit choice this way, “we chose outfits to that we would wear to a beachfront patio, on a night out for dinner and drinks with good friends we hadn’t seen for a long time.”   

Complement each other’s style. 
This is not a suggestion to wear a matchy-matchy couples onesie outfit, though that would be hilarious. We do, however, recommend your clothes complement each other’s style and scale of formality. We’ve found most couples have a similar style anyways, but we just throw this in as a tip.  For example, if one of you is in a suit jacket, the other might not want to wear those oh-so-cozy LuLus and gym top.  Or, if one is in a brightly coloured, patterned summer dress, the other probably wouldn’t be rocking the Johnny Cash all-black-from-head-to-toe look.  You're both individuals, but these photos show how you complement each other as two equal parts of a whole.

Play off the season and location.  
This all goes with the goal of feeling comfortable and natural in your surroundings. We want you to dress and feel awesome for the weather, and location you're in.  Heels aren't always the best shoe choice for snowy mountains or sandy beaches. If you're planning to rock a strapless dress at the top of Cypress in the winter, bring along a cute jacket to wear.  If you're planning a romantic summer sunset on a hot beach, leave that parka at home and wear layers instead. 

I know, I know! This isn't one of Andrea and Eddie's engagement photos. But we love their use of vibrant colour and eccentric prints to show their personal style. Don't be afraid to be bold, friends!

Don't shy away from bright colours or prints, but avoid fluorescent neon materials. 
Bold prints and vibrant colours can be a great way to show your personal style, but be weary of fluorescent and neon.  Think Olivia Newton John in her 80’s aerobic leotards.  While these types of colours are mostly seen in workout and road-worker attire to promote visibility and road safety, they have started to pop up in regular style as well for a visual punch.  Great in real life, but these fluorescent and neon colours are so reflective that they’ll reflect their own colour onto your skin in photographs.  If these colours are on the front of your shirt, they will often cast their colour up onto your face and your partner’s, even on a cloudy day. (We’ll have a photo in the blog to show an example of this effect.)

A good night sleep, proper meals, and lots of water! 
This is just a general rule for day to day life, but it applies to the day of your photoshoot as well.  If you’re nervous the night before, try to hit the hay early to make sure you’re not tired the evening of your session. If you’re busy with hair and makeup on the day of, make sure to allot time for food and water through the day of your the photo session.  It’s the best way to look vibrant, feel refreshed, and stay excited through your photos together. Plus, as we all know, it’s hard to smile and feel lovey when we’re hangry. 

These are some of our prep / attire tips. But again, only follow these to the degree that you’re comfortable with, and don’t feel restricted by.  We usually spend a few minutes at the start of each photo shoot to let you guys know what expect so that you know how to interact with each other and the camera during the photoshoot. We’ll shake out all those nervous, awkward feelings at the start so you guys can feel awesome in the photos! 

Feel free to check out some other blogs here:

Whonnock Lake Lodge Wedding - Minna and Trevor

Minna and Trevor's Intimate Wedding at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

Today we're sharing some of our favourites from Minna and Trevor's wedding at Whonnock Lake Centre.

We were so honoured to be there to capture Minna and Trevor's big day with them, and their family and friends.  For those of you who know what the Vancouver area is like in the winter, you know we get rain.  A lot of it.   With the rain pouring down the wall of windows of Whonnock Lake Centre, and the sun setting low into a nest of mist and cloud,  Minna and Trevor hosted one of the most intimate and cozy weddings we've had the pleasure of shooting.  Underneath a canopy of lanterns strung from the wood beams, they and their guests danced and drank the night away. What a celebration!  

Thank you Minna and Trevor for having us there to capture it.  Thanks for standing in the rain while we did some photography experimentations on you!  You're such great sports.

We hope you love the photos!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us

Centennial Beach Engagement Session - Bernice and Phil

Bernice and Phil Get Silly at Centennial Beach in Richmond During Their Engagement Session //  Vancouver Wedding Photographers

We've been waiting eagerly for Bernice and Phil's engagement session and their upcoming wedding for some time now!  They're quirky, animated, and so fun to be around. Their smiles and laughter are contagious.  We were so excited to come to Richmond from Victoria to photograph them!

We met up with Bernice and Phil around Centennial Beach in Richmond for their engagement session.  It was windy and cool that day, so we opted to start our session in a more sheltered area, amongst some gorgeously coloured autumn trees.  After a bit of walk through the trails, we made our way to the beach to play on the logs and race down the shore.

Phil and Bernice enjoy cosplay, and it only seemed right to pull out their homemade, expressive BomberMan heads to have some fun! We were so impressed with the way Phil and Bernice embrace doing things their way - from the custom engagement ring, their enthusiasm for cosplay, and the unique details they are putting into their wedding.  We're so looking forward to their December wedding!

Thanks for all the laughs, Bernice and Phil! We hope you love the photos as much as we do.

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us